The present invention relates to gaming machines.
Gaming machines come in various types and are generally operable upon insertion of appropriate credit , such as money or token. However, in this specification machines that do not require credit also fall within the term gaming machines.
According to the present invention there is provided a gaming machine comprising a first game playable by a user upon activation and a second game playable upon activation following play of the first game, one of the first and second games comprising a roulette-type component.
The roulette-type component may comprise a wheel which wheel may be of conventional or generally conventional roulette wheel design. The game may comprise a conventional or substantially conventional game of roulette. The roulette game may be electronically simulated in part or in whole, for example by video or other means and may be controlled by control means in the machine. The roulette-type component may be the same or similar to that disclosed in U.K. Patent Application No. 9284499 or International Patent Application No. PCT/GB98/02599. The wheel may be inaccessible directly by a user of the machine, for example the wheel may be located behind a transparent protective screen. Alternatively, the wheel or a part thereof may be accessible for physical rotation by a user.
Preferably the roulette-type component provides for win facilities, which may award a winning user by controlling the dispensing of one more coins, tokens and/or credits thereto. The win facilities may comprise areas defined an the wheel and may further comprise sensing means to detect location of the area(s) relative to for example a ball whereby to enable determination of a win.
Preferably the second game comprises the roulette-type component. The first game may comprise a generally conventional reels-based game. Alternatively, the first game may comprise a reels-based game in which the reels are electronically simulated in part or in whole, for example by video or other means and may be controlled by control means in the machine. The control means may be the aforementioned control means or further control means. Preferably the first game is operable to activate the roulette-type component for play by a user of the machine upon successful play of the first game by a user. Alternatively, the roulette-type component may be comprised in the first game.
Preferably means is provided to enable switching between play of the first and second games, which switching may be effected, perhaps selectively, by a user.